The invention relates to a fixation device, a combination of such a fixation device with an elongate element, and a corresponding arrangement with a retaining structure, and an osteosynthesis set, as described below.
Various types of fixation devices are used in bone surgery. In various indications, an elongate element, for example a Kirschner wire, has to be secured on a retaining structure, for example an internal or external fixator. Various arrangements are known for securing the wires in the retaining structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,481 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,533, for example, disclose clamp-like devices which can be guided in the manner of a clamping jaw over an elongate element and in so doing fix the latter. U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,814 discloses a clamping device which can be used for an external fixator and in which two clamping jaws form a channel for receiving an elongate element. One of the clamping jaws is elastically deformable in order to receive the elongate element.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,191 discloses an external fixator in which an elongate element can be guided into a slotted ball that can be pressed in between two clamping jaws. The orientation of the elongate element received in the ball can be adjusted in this way.
A surgical guide body is known from EP 1 202 675. The guide body is used to receive fixation elements and for this purpose has a plurality of openings inclined relative to one another. By means of an intermediate piece, a longitudinal fixation element, for example a wire, can be fixed by pressing, clamping or friction.
Other fixation devices for elongate elements are known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,346, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,631, U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,394, EP 1 408 859, WO 03/105704, EP 1 736 109, EP 1 570 796, U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,627, EP 1 741 396, EP 1 306 057, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,505, U.S. Pat. No. 4,127,119 or DE 3439795, WO 03/065911.
However, all these known solutions are associated with various disadvantages. In particular, many of the known solutions are made up of a plurality of individual elements. Production and use is therefore complicated and also expensive. A further disadvantage of known solutions is that the elongate elements to be fixed can often be secured only in one direction, or they can be secured in different directions only by means of structurally complex solutions.
It is true that EP 1 202 675 discloses a solution in which a position is possible in different directions without complicated ball joints. However, different directions are in this case also only possible in a defined and limited number according to preformed, inclined openings of the guide body. A correction of the direction is not possible.